


Oblivious Love

by sassiestassbuttever



Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Be ready for that, F/M, I'm using Google translate, Sorry if any Spanish is wrong, There's gonna be so much sass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-13 22:05:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10522827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassiestassbuttever/pseuds/sassiestassbuttever
Summary: For most of her life Maya's been keeping rangers and bounty hunters off her back. One day she decides to visit an old friend and gets roped into a team with the one bounty hunter she's been trying her best to avoid. Now she's on a mission to save a town she's never heard of in an attempt to clear her name. If she can manage to not strangle her teammates along the way, that is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all and welcome. As the tags say, I'm going to be using my limited knowledge and Google translate for the smaller Spanish phrases and words. There will be sections where there is a conversation in Spanish, and for that I will specify the language switch and write it in italics. If you see any Spanish that is wrong in any way please let me know so I can fix it. Enjoy!

A warm summer breeze blew through the fields, making the golden blades sway back and forth. A young woman sat atop her horse and looked out at the town below her, trying to decide whether or not to enter it. 

"Que piensas sobre esto, bebtia?" she asked, patting her horse on her neck. "Vale le pena?" 

The horse snorted in answer as she was urged forward towards the town. As the pair rode in the residents gave them strange looks and sideways glances, but it didn't seem to daunt them. The young woman halted her horse in front of the saloon and dismounted, her black boots thudding on the ground. She silently walked through the swinging doors and took a seat at the bar, removing her black hat as she did so. 

"What'll ya have?" the bartender asked, walking over to her. 

"I'll take a double." she replied, trying her best to mask her accent. 

The bartender nodded and took out a glass and bottle and set them in front of her. After she poured it the saloon suddenly fell silent. Feeling the tension in the air she slipped her free hand down to one of the pistols on her gun belt, while taking a sip of her drink. Out of the corner of her eye she could someone in all black walking up to the bar and then leaning against it. 

"Shot of Busthead." The stranger said. 

"Sorry, don't carry that kind cowboy." The bartender told him. 

"Well, in that case I'll take what the lady is havin'." 

Silence followed as the bartender grabbed another bottle and glass and slid it to the stranger. Finishing her drink she left some money on the counter, put her hat back on, and started walking out of saloon when she heard the stranger say something about July Bully. The name sounded familiar enough for her to stop and look over at the bar, just in time for three men to pull their guns on the stranger. In one of the fastest moves she had seen the stranger pulled out his gun and disarmed the men, putting his gun back with a satisfied look on his face. 

Catching movement to her left she looked over and saw a group of men sitting around what looked like a poker game. One of them looked at her winked, causing her to roll her eyes and look back to the other stranger who had just shot and killed the bartender. He turned to everyone else in the saloon and told them to go get the sheriff. Standing aside as everyone filtered out she saw one of the men at the poker table taking all the money that was there and going towards the back door. The other stranger stopped next to her and tipped his hat towards her. 

"I'm sorry you had to see that, miss." he said to her. 

"It's nothing I'm not used to." She said. "Thanks for the concern though." 

"You have a nice day now." He said before stepping out to address the crowd that had gathered.

Taking the idea of the other man she had seen, she headed out the back door of the saloon to avoid the crowd. No one in the town had seemed to know her so far, but she wasn't one to take chances when it came to her freedom. As she stepped outside she saw two men leading off another one towards an old mine entrance. She had heard one of them say his name was the Two Gun Kid and couldn't help but laugh. Wanting to see how the situation played out she followed a safe distance behind them and sat on a log when they stopped. She heard them talk about how they were cheated out of fifty dollars and that they wanted it back. With no guns on him, she wondered how the man from the saloon would get out of this one. She had a few ideas, but him performing a card trick was not one of them and she was sure he would die. 

That was until he pulled out a hidden gun and shot one of the men in the head. The other dropped his gun as he was pulled in and the gun held under his chin. She couldn't quite make out what he was saying but she did hear as he shot the man's ear off and let him fall to the ground. He stopped to pick up his guns and dump the bullets out of the dead man's rifle before walking in her direction. 

"Was his name really Two Gun Kid?" She asked as he passed her. 

The man stopped and looked at her. After a few moments a look of recognition crossed his face.

"Don't ask me why he picked it. He never was the most clever man." He answered. "What brings you here?"

"Does someone need a reason to visit a friend?" She said with a smile, standing up as she spoke.

"I don't suppose they do." He said with a chuckle, pulling her in for a hug. "How have you been, Maya?"

"As good as you can be livin' my kind of life." She answered. "And you Joshua?"

"Same old, same old." 

"So you mean this is one of the few towns you haven't been kicked out of?" 

"Hey now. You were part of some of those, ya know." 

"That I was. Those were good times weren't they mi amigo." 

"That they were. Care to help me get my horse?" 

"How'd you lose that demonio?" 

"I can't quite remember." 

Maya laughed as the two walked away from the old mine and towards the corral. There they saw a man sitting on the fence as another tried to get a harness on a horse. 

"Come one now, it's just a silly horse." the man on the fence said. 

"Silly horse? His name's Jack and he's killed men before, so he better be careful in there." Joshua said as they walked up to the corral. 

"Eso es una mentira." Maya said. 

"Two days ago, your horse against my Irish whiskey behind the saloon, playing dice." the man said. 

"Now that is a complete fabrication." Joshua said right as the man hopped of the fence. 

After a moment of silence Joshua finally spoke. 

"That-that was real? I thought that was a dream. I thought you were a leprechaun." 

Maya couldn't help but laugh at the statement, which earned her a glare from Joshua. 

"Well in that case, I would like to buy my horse back, but I am low on funds at the moment. It seems we have ourselves a Mexican standoff, only it's between a Baptist and an Irishman so I'm not sure how it's going to-"

Before the sentence was finished the other man put a hand on his gun. At this movement Maya put her hand on one of her guns as well. 

"Now what you have to go and put your hand on your gun for?" Joshua asked. 

"How much for his horse?" a voice behind Maya asked. 

Instantly Maya was turned around with her gun drawn and trained at the stranger from the saloon, who put his hands up in surrender. Beside him was a woman and man who looked liked they'd never seen someone pointing a gun at another person before. 

"There's no need for violence here. We don't mean any harm." the stranger said. 

"It's alright Maya. you can put the gun down." Joshua told his friend, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

Maya looked back at him for a moment before putting her gun back in it's place. 

"Ta answer you question, it's twenty five for the horse, seven and two bits for the saddle." the man said, clearly annoyed with the situation. 

"Why are you doing this?" Joshua asked the stranger, keeping his hand on Maya's shoulder should she not like his answer. 

"I've just taken a job and I'm lookin for some men to join me." he answered. 

"Is it hard?" 

"Damn near impossible." 

"Is there money in it." 

At this the stranger looked to the woman beside him and she tossed Joshua a saddle bag. Both he and Maya peeked inside and saw a considerable amount of coins. 

"Well, I do have an affinity for shiny things." Joshua said, tossing the bag back. "How many men you got?" 

"Two." the stranger answered. 

"What, them?" 

"You and me." 

Joshua looked surprised at the answer, but also intrigued. 

"Well, I'm only going if she can come too." He said, patting Maya on the shoulder. 

"Don't drag me into this." She whispered. 

"Oh come on. It'll be fun. Like one of those towns where people chased us out with guns." He argued. 

Maya thought on the matter for a few moments before sighing. 

"Fine, I'll go. But only to make sure you don't do anything stupid." She said. 

"Well, seems you got yourself a three person crew Mr-" Joshua said, waiting for the other man to state his name. 

"Chisolm. My name is Sam Chisolm." He said. 

"Who's she?" Maya asked, nodding towards the woman beside him. 

"Joan of Arc." Sam answered sarcastically. 

"Emma Cullen. And this is my associate Teddy Q." She said, lifting her head high. 

Maya tipped her hat towards both as Sam got off his horse and paid the other man for Joshua's horse. 

"I'm gonna go get Isabelle." Maya informed Joshua before walking back toward the saloon where her horse was still waiting. 

When she rode back she saw that everyone was already waiting to go. 

"Ya ready?" Joshua asked. 

"Are you?" She countered. 

"Always." He said with a smile. 

"Let's get movin then." Sam said, urging his horse into a trot. 

As they rode out of town Maya and Joshua fell back behind the others. 

"Why did you rope me into this?" She asked. 

"Because I thought it would be fun." He answered. 

"Mentiras. You know why I didn't want to come." Maya said, her accent becoming stronger the angrier she became. 

"I know you don't trust Chisolm because he's a bounty hunter." 

"Damn straight I don't. He's probably the only around here that could actually bring me in." 

"I was just thinkin that if we did this job with him we could make a deal where he leaves you alone. Hell, maybe he could even clear your name."

"There's no clearing my name after what happened and you know it." 

"Well either way you get something out of it." 

"If this goes south I'm blaming it on you." 

"I wouldn't expect anything else." 

Maya rolled her eyes as Joshua rode up next to Chisolm. Emma and Teddy stayed where they were, neither looking like they wanted to speak with anyone. After a few more miles Chisolm stopped everyone at the top of a hill. 

"Two day's ride from here you'll find Volcano Springs. You, Maya, and Teddy are lookin for a Cajun by the name of Robicheaux." Sam said to Joshua. 

"Goodnight Robicheaux?" he asked. 

"The very same." 

"The Angel of Death." Joshua muttered. 

"Meet me outside of Junction City in three days. If I'm not there then I'm dead and you can keep my horse." Sam said, looking to Joshua on the last part. 

Maya chuckled a little as she steered her horse to ride next to Joshua, the three of them riding towards Volcano Springs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Que piensas sobre esto, bebita: What do you think, baby girl
> 
> Vale le pena: Is it worth it
> 
> Demonio: Demon
> 
> Eso es una mentira: That's a lie
> 
> Mentiras: Lies


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little shorter than usual, but it's more of an introduction for Goody and Billy than anything else. Enjoy!

"Parece que algo esta pasando." Maya said, only loud enough for Joshua to hear. 

"I have no idea what you just said, but I'm gonna assume it's got something to do with half the town being at the corral." He said as the three of them got off their horses. 

"You think the man we're lookin for will be over there, Mr. Faraday?" Teddy asked, a nervous look in his eyes. 

"Giving his reputation, I don't see why he wouldn't be. Looks like a fight's about to start." Joshua answered. 

As the trio made their way to the corral Maya could see two men standing across from each other. One looked like a typical saloon frequenter and the other looked like one of the few Orientals Maya had seen in her travels. Another man stood off to the side. Finding an open spot, the three leaned against the fence to watch everything go down. 

"On my gun." The man to the side said. 

A few seconds later he fired his gun into the air and the other two men quickly drew their guns and fired off to the side of each other. The first man smirked as the crowd began clapping, and Maya assumed he won. 

"Billy wins." The third man said. 

"What? I clearly won, you all saw it!" The other yelled. 

Maya watched as the second man, who she assumed was Billy, walked over to a man who was stretched across the top of the fence. 

"How bout we do it for real this time, huh? Double or nothin." The first man said, his tone angry. "Come on you sap suckin runt of man!" 

Billy looked behind him and then back to the man on the fence. He gave a small nod and Billy walked back to the center of the corral. He then took of his hat and gun belt and shifted his stance. 

"This is about to get interesting." Maya said. 

The man to the side fired his gun in the air again and the first man drew his gun again. But before he could even get a shot off there was a small knife in his chest. Billy picked up his things and waited as the man that was on the fence walked around collecting the bets in his hat. 

"Goodnight Robicheaux?' Joshua asked as the man passed by them. "Sam Chisolm sent us." 

The name seemed to make the man stop in his tracks. He finished collecting the money and then walked back. 

"Did you say Sam Chislom?" He asked. 

"That I did. He sent us to get you." Joshua answered. 

"Well, son. Why don't we go on over to the saloon and you can tell me about it." He said. 

Joshua nodded and pushed back from the fence. Teddy and Maya followed his as they met the other two at the saloon, where Goodnight sat in the barber's chair and Billy took a seat at the table next to him. Joshua, Maya, and Teddy took seats across from them. 

"Let me confirm something here. You said Sam Chisolm. Warrant officer from Wichita, Kansas and licensed peace officer in seven other states, do we have the same man?" Goodnight asked. 

"The very same." Joshua replied. 

"He sent us to get you Mr. Robicheaux, but he never said anything about your friend here." Teddy said. 

"Wherever I go..Billy goes." Goodnight told him. 

Teddy nodded and shrunk into his seat a little more. "So how'd you two meet anyway?" 

Goodnight laughed and looked towards Billy before answering. 

"How did we meet, Billy? I was serving a warrant on him for the Northern Pacific Railroad." 

"A warrant for what, killing a man with a hairpin?" Joshua asked, snickering as he did. 

Billy gave him a blank stare that caused the other man to stop. 

"That is funny." Billy said in a deadpan tone. 

"It was in Texas, there was a saloon that didn't want to serve Billy's kind. I watched in awe as this petite son of a bitch took down five men bare handed. And I said to myself, 'Goody, this is not a man to arrest this is a man to befriend." Goodnight said, continuing his story as if no one had said anything. 

"Well, it's a two day ride to Junction city, so I say we do a half day of drinkin." Joshua said. 

"I like you." Goodnight said with a smile, getting out of the barber's chair. 

"It's a wonder you haven't fallen off your horse and gotten stranded yet with how much you drink." Maya commented. 

"Ah, she speaks. Well hello mon cher. What might your name be?" Goodnight inquired, extending a hand to Maya. 

"Good luck. It took me three months of knowing her just get her last name out of her. Called her Miss the entire time." Joshua said. 

"My name's Maya. Maya Garcia." She answered, shaking Goodnight's hand. 

Joshua looked at her with wide eyes as she spoke. 

"What on earth? How come you just up and told him but made me wait three months?" He asked. 

"I was going to do the same thing, but then you went and said all that. I figured it would be more fun this way." She answered with a smirk. 

"Why you gotta go and do stuff like that all the time?" Joshua said, trying his best to give her a sad look. 

"A lot of reasons." Maya said as she walked towards the bar to get everyone drinks. 

"That is quite the woman you've got there." Goodnight said. 

"She's quite the lady alright, but I'm pretty sure you'd be finding pieces of me for a week if I tried anything." Joshua said with a laugh.

"Damn straight, cabron." Maya said while she set the glasses on a table. 

"How are we payin for this?" Teddy asked. 

"We're not. Whoever just tried to flirt with me is. Never got his name, but the bartender knew it." Maya answered. 

"You ain't drinkin'?" Joshua asked her. 

"One of us has to be sober." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Parece que algo esta pasando: Seems like something is happening. 
> 
> Cabron: Dumbass.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaay, chapter three! Starting in this chapter and going to whenever the end of this story will be, any conversations that Vas and Maya have in italics are in Spanish. Hope you like this one :)

Maya was about ready to kneecap Joshua for how much he was talking when they finally came over the small hill and saw Sam's camp. She recognized his and Emma's horses, but not the gray horse that was tied up on the far end of the camp. Goodnight and Sam greeted each other with smiles and laughter and Maya watched as Joshua all but fell off of Jack. Looking back to the camp as Goodnight introduced Billy she saw someone step out from behind the mystery horse. Based on his looks Maya couldn't quite tell if he was from Brazil like she was, or from some surrounding area. He had the usual vest, gun belt, and hat combo but he also had a red sash tied around his waist. He walked up to the group, albeit a little cautiously, and stopped a few feet away.

"Oh good, we got a Mexican." Joshua said as he walked up to the other man and began teasing him.

"Lo cortarias?" Maya said, smacking him on the back of the head.

"Alright, alright. Just bein friendly." He said, rubbing his head and walking away. 

" _You from Mexico?_ " The man asked in Spanish. 

" _Brazil. How'd Chisolm get you to join?_ " Maya said, crossing her arms over her chest. 

" _I have a bounty on my head, and he said he'd stop coming after me if I helped._ " He answered. " _You got a name?_ "

" _Garcia. You?_ " 

" _Vasquez. How'd you get roped in?_ " 

" _I was visiting that idiot over there when Chisolm showed up and asked if he wanted to join. Course he didn't really have a choice, seeing as he bought his horse out from under him. Then he had to go and say he'd only join if I came along._ " 

"You two wanna share with the rest of the class?" Joshua joked from where he was standing, talking to Sam. 

"Not really." Maya shot back. 

"We'll stay here for the night and then head to a trading post nearby in the morning." Sam informed everyone. 

"Why are we goin there?" Maya questioned. 

"There's a man that'll be there at the same time that might be willing to help us." He answered. 

Maya shrugged and walked back to her horse to take the tack off and let her graze.

* * *

"Well this is quite the group we have. Me a gray, Chisolm a blue, Billy a mysterious man from the Orient, a drunken Irishman, two Texicans, and a woman and her gentleman caller. This is not going to end well for us." Goodnight said as the group rode down the trail. 

"Ain't no thing as a Texican, cabron." Vasquez said. 

"Try tellin that to my granddaddy. He died at the Alamo, mauled by a team of brown devils." Goodnight told the other man. 

"My grandfather was one of those brown devils. Hey, maybe my grandfather killed your grandfather." Vasquez said, leaning in a little and laughing at the last bit. 

"What a charming thought. I sense we are bonding." Goodnight said, directing the last part at Billy. 

"Don't rope me into that war. Brazil had no part in it." Maya said. 

"We here." Sam called out as they approached the small trading post. 

After tying their horses up they all took up spots on the large porch of the building while they waited for whatever man Chisolm was wanting to recruit. After a few minuets two men came up with a gun and horse that weren't theirs, claiming to have killed the infamous Jack Horne. 

"The Jack Horne, the legend Jack Horne?" Goodnight asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"He may have killed three hundred Crow, but he never met the Pigeon Brothers before." One of them answered. 

"And that's his rifle?" Joshua asked. 

"Sure is. There's a military outpost that's offering a thousand dollars for him dead." 

"But you don't have a body." Maya said. 

"What exactly are you sugg-" The man speaking was cut off by the hatchet currently buried in his chest. 

Everyone looked to the left as a large man came barreling down the path. The other brother who was holding the rifle started backing up and ended up firing the rifle into the air and falling over. The man picked up the gun and hit the man in the head with it before stomping down with enough force to crack the skull. Sighing, he picked up his hat and put it on before turning around walking to the man with the hatchet in him. After taking it out he looked up at the group on the porch. 

"Now, I got a right by the Lord and by the law to take back what is mine. Are we in agreement?" He said as he stood up. 

A few them nodded and watched while Sam talked to him. Without saying anything he took his horse and walked back up the trail he had come from. 

"I do believe that bear was wearing people clothes." Joshua remarked. 

This got a laugh out of everyone and Maya pushed his shoulder a small bit. 

"What, you didn't like that one?" He asked, looking over to where she sat next to him. 

"As long as you don't start telling the ones you came up with in Kansas City, I'm good." She answered with a small smile. 

"I feel like we're missing something, here." Vasquez commented. 

"Well I would be happy to fill in you on what Maya here ended up doing." Joshua said, a smirk overtaking his features. 

"Don't you dare." Maya said, sending him a glare. 

"Now that would be an interesting story." Goodnight said from behind them. 

"Lo dices y te matare." Maya threatened. 

"I wouldn't tell that story if I were you." Vasquez said. 

"What'd she say?" Joshua asked him. 

Vasquez smirked and followed Chisolm back to the horses. Soon everyone was back on their horses and making their way to Rose Creek. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: 
> 
> Lo cortarias: Would you cut it out
> 
> Lo dices y te matare: You tell it and I'll kill you.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Que acabas de decir: What did you just say?
> 
> Dilo de nuevo para que pueda dispararte: Say it again so I can shoot you!
> 
> Estupido cerdo, hija de puta: Stupid pig, son of a bitch! 
> 
> Idioto: Idiot

Maya was half awake when she heard everyone in the camp start to silently freak out over something. Taking her pistol she stood up and saw why everyone was on high alert. Behind the group was Jack Horne, who had apparently come to warn them about the Indian currently riding up to their camp. In Maya's experience most Indian tribes were friendly for the most part, so she chose to not raise her gun like everyone else. Sam seemed to have the same notion as he handed his gun to Vasquez and walked up to the stranger. They held a small conversation that ended in Sam eating part of a deer liver and walking back to the rest of the group. 

"What'd he say?" Jack asked, coming down into the camp a little farther. 

"Said he's with us." Sam answered. "Now let's get some breakfast going. I had mine." 

Maya looked back at the newcomer for a moment before turning her back to help get the fire started. 

* * *

 

" _How come you didn't even pull back the hammer on your gun earlier_  ?" Vasquez asked Maya, using Spanish for privacy's sake. 

" _Most Indians I've met haven't been hostile. The only reason everyone thinks they are is because they've only heard stories from stupid white men_." She answered. 

" _You seem to have a strong opinion about those story tellers._ " 

" _That's because they usually only say Indians are hostile because they provoked them and lost. Either that or they have a biased opinion of them and won't give it up._ "

" _Just like how most sheriffs and deputies have biased opinions about people like us._ " 

"Are you two just planning on using Spanish when you don't want us listening in?" Joshua asked, looking back at the pair. 

"Yes, yes we are." Maya answered with a smug smile. 

"Probably should have taken you up on those language lessons a couple years back." He said, turning back around. 

"But then I wouldn't be able to say all things about you that I do. And that just wouldn't be fun." Maya said. 

This got a laugh out of everyone but Joshua who just looked at the ground. Maya sped up her horse until she was riding next to the pouting Irishman and leaned in a small bit. 

"You know I'm only joking. I only talk about you in Spanish when I'm trying to get someone off your back." She told him, using a lower voice so only he could hear her. 

"I thought you were just using random words." He said. 

"I do. I also throw your name in a few times so they think I'm talking you up." She said. 

"Well, I always did appreciate you helping me in those situations."

"No problem. Just gives me a chance to say that you eat rocks while wearing a cabbage on your head." Maya said with a smirk. 

Joshua chuckled and gave her a playful nudge. 

"How exactly did this friendship come to be, anyways?" Goodnight asked after watching the interaction. 

"I've been wondering the same thing." Vasquez said.

"Now that's a fun story." Joshua said, looking to Maya for permission to tell it. 

"You can tell it. Only if I get to tell them what happened the next night, though." She said. 

"Deal." Joshua said. 

"So this was about five or so years back in Missouri. I was in some small town trying to win back some money I had lost the day before, when all of the sudden I see this man get a bar stool broken over his head by the most firey woman I had ever seen. Course, I couldn't understand a word she was sayin cause she was yelling at the guy in Spanish. When he got back up he tried to hit her but she just dodged it and landed a punch right on his nose, and I swear the whole town could hear the crack his nose made. Soon enough an entire bar fight was goin on and it was all centered around her. My first thought was to grab the money that had been left on the table, but then I saw the she was starting to lose so I stepped in." 

"And got punched in the face at least four times." Maya interjected. 

"I'll admit that happened. Anyways, we both managed to get the fight under control enough that we could sneak out of the bar and back to the boarding house. And the whole way there she talking my ear off in Spanish until I finally got her to start using English. Then she started talking my ear off in that too and wouldn't even tell me her name. Luckily ya don't need names to help each other out. The next day the entire town was after us for various reasons and we got chased out. After that we just stuck together till her reputation made it so we had to split up." Joshua finished, smiling at the memory. 

"Why did you break a stool over someone's head?" Emma asked, speaking for the first time that morning. 

"He wouldn't leave me alone and then tried to grab me and take me up to his room. So I grabbed the first thing I could and it just so happened to be a bar stool." Maya answered. 

"I actually ran into him a few months back. Once he remembered me from that night he started looking for you and left." Joshua told Maya. 

Maya smirked at the thought of that man running scared just at the mention of her. 

"So what happened the next night?" Teddy asked. 

"Joshua here got so drunk he forgot how we met and started flirting with me." Maya replied, laughing as she talked. 

"I didn't mean to." He muttered. 

"And then when I told him that he already knew me he assumed we were already in a relationship and tried to kiss me. Only he missed, fell over, and hit his head on the table." She continued. 

"There was no need to tell them that part." He argued. 

"You said I could tell them that story." She argued back. 

"Well, this is a lasting friendship if I've ever seen one." Goodnight said with a smile. 

* * *

 

Maya watched as Sam and Billy made their way into Rose Creek and then followed Vasquez and Joshua around to back of the town. When Sam gave the signal the other two assumed their positions on either side of the street and she walked up the center. 

"Quite the batch of strays you have here." One of the men said. 

"Why's she here? You all gettin a different kinda action on the side?" Another asked, looking at Maya. 

"Que acabas de decir?" She growled, her had going to her gun. "Dilo de nuevo para que pueda dispararte! Estupido cerdo, hijo de puta!"

Before anything else was said Sam shot two of the men standing in front of him after one had drawn his gun on him. The man who seemed to be a leader whistled for what Maya assumed to be a sniper. 

"I don't think he heard you." Sam said. 

He gave another signal and the Indian, who's name Maya found out was Red Harvest, pushed the man off the roof and shot down two more men. Soon enough there was a full blown gunfight going on in the town. Maya shot a man before she had to run for cover. There were three more that she took out inside a store and then another two out in the street. It was then that she saw the man who had made some suggestions earlier that she wasn't entirely pleased with. He was currently trying to hide from the flurry of bullets so it was east for her to sneak up on him. Punching in the face she shoved him against a wall and held her knife against his throat. 

"You wanna take that suggestion back, idioto?" She said, her tone low and threatening. 

"Why would I?" He counter questioned. 

Clearly unhappy with his response, Maya grabbed his shirt collar and shoved him into the path of a bullet and then shot the other man who had fired it. After that there was silence. Maya waited a few moments before stepping out into the street and joined the others that had gathered at the center of town. 

"I got six." Vasquez said.  

"I got seven." Joshua said. 

"Five." Billy said as he walked up with Goodnight. 

"Eight." Maya said, silently enjoying the fact that she beat Joshua by one. 

Without saying anything Sam crouched down and looked under a porch. 

"Hey. Come outta there." He said. 

A man that Maya recognized as the sheriff crawled out and stood before the eight of them. 

"You're going to give Bouge a message for me." Sam told him. 

"I think you've already given him a message, only I don't think you're gonna like his response." The sheriff said. 

"You tell him that we have his town, and if he wants it back he'll have to come talk to me. And if he doesn't then he's nothing but a yellow bellied, sap suckin coward." Sam instructed. "Then tell him Lincoln, like the president. Say it back to me." 

"Lincoln, like the president." He repeated. 

Sam stood aside so that the sheriff could move past him and leave. Before he could leave he stopped the man one more time. 

"Sam Chisolm. Say it back." He said.

"S-Sam Chisolm." The sheriff confirmed before walking as fast as he could away from them. 

"You sure that was a good idea?" Maya asked. 

"It'll get Bouge's attention." He answered. 

"If this alone doesn't get his attention, nothing will." She said, looking around her. 

Horses could be heard as Emma and Teddy rode into town, calling the people to come out and meet the ones who would save them. Timid people began coming out of houses and other buildings and gathering around a large porch that Goodnight and Billy had already taken seats on. 

"These men and woman are here help us. I've already offered them fair pay." Emma told everyone. 

"Who said you could go act on our behalf?" A townsman asked. 

"It seems I was the only with balls enough to do so." Emma shot back. 

Maya laughed at this as she stepped on the porch to stand behind Emma, silently showing her support of the other woman. 

"Mr. Chisolm." Emma said, nodding to the man and taking a step back. 

Sam walked out to the middle of the porch and faced the people. 

"My name is Sam Chisolm. I'm a duly sworn warrant officer in Wichita Kansas and a licensed peace officer in seven other states. Like Mrs. Cullen said, we're all here to help you." He said, watching the small crowd as he spoke. 

"That's all well and good but Bouge said he would be back in three weeks and that was 8 days ago." A woman spoke up. 

"One week, that's what we have. Three day ride to Sacramento with the news, one day for Bouge to plan, three days back. One week." Sam told them. "Now they're going to underestimate you, which will be their first mistake, but we'll have to work to make that happen. Why don't y'all go home and get a good night's rest. Could be the last you have in a while." 

Everyone was silent as they started to all go back to their homes. Maya could tell they were nervous, and they had good reason to be. They were farmers, not fighters. Hopefully with a bit of work they could change that enough for them to win back their town. 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought we could all use some Maya/Vasquez interaction. Also some sweet, good friend Faraday. Just a heads up, anything in italics that's being spoken is being spoken in Spanish.

The sounds of gunshots rang out throughout the town as the townsmen fired at the straw targets. Well, they tried at least. 

"Jesus wept." Joshua said. 

Maya laughed and shifted her stance so she was leaning against the fence behind them. Vasquez came up and leaned beside her. 

"Well, if anyone tries to attack us by flying or tunnels I think we'll be just fine." Maya commented. 

The silence was broken by another gunshot and someone falling backwards. 

"That's the second time for you, go make me some eggs." Goodnight said, waving the man off. 

"Leave your gun." Joshua instructed before the man left. 

" _Do you think they'll be ready in time_ ?" Vasquez asked, directing the question at Maya. 

" _Possibly. If they actually get their act together and realize this is what they need to do to win._ " She answered. 

Another row of gunshots were fired, and yet again they hardly hit anything. That was when Joshua decided to challenge Goodnight a small bit, saying the men needed inspiration. After a moment Goodnight fired six shots into one of the dummy's and decapitated it. Without saying a word he handed the gun back to Joshua and walked away. 

" _You know his story_ ?" Vasquez questioned. 

" _Nope. Just know what I've heard, and that ain't much_." She replied. 

" _Want to go get a drink?"_  

Maya looked over at Vasquez and smiled. 

"Yes. Yes I do." 

* * *

 

Maya sat on the porch of the boarding house, her black trench coat folded up beside her and her hat set on top of it. Her light blue shirt was rolled up to her elbows, her feet propped up on the railing. 

"You plannin on sitting there all day?" Vasquez asked, putting arms on the railing next to her feet. 

"No, but it is fun watchin you work." Maya said, winking at him and smirking. 

Vasquez chuckled and looked at the ground, then to his left. 

"What's the plan for today, anyways?" She asked. 

"Chisolm wants to go down to the mines, rescue the workers there. See if we can't get more man power." He answered. 

"Sounds like fun." She said, dropping her feet to the ground and standing up. 

Vasquez watched while she put her hat back on but decided to leave her coat behind and went down the steps of the porch. As the pair made their way to the stables they saw that everyone else was ready to go. Joshua had taken the liberty of saddling Maya's horse for her, so she called her over. 

"Hola, Isabelle." She said, rubbing the horses neck before getting on the saddle. 

"Let's get movin." Sam said, leading the way. 

"Hey Joshua, why'd you get Isabelle ready for me?" Maya asked, making sure no one could hear without really listening. 

"Well, you were so busy flirting over there I figured it would get us goin sooner." He answered, a smug look on his face. 

"I wasn't flirting." She muttered, looking at the ground. 

"Looked like it to me." 

"Everything looks like flirting to you." 

The eight of them stopped at the top of a hill that overlooked the mine. They could see the workers as well the men Bouge put in charge. Sam had asked Goodnight to find a spot to shoot down the other men, but Maya saw a look in his eyes like he was scared of doing it. To save him the trouble of explaining why he didn't want to do this certain task, Maya volunteered for it. Sam questioned why at first so she made up the excuse that Goodnight would need to save ammo for the bigger battle. This seemed to quell the bounty hunter's curiousity for now and Maya borrowed a rifle and rode up to a higher point and got into a good position. Using what her grandfather had taught her she shot down any of Bouge's men that she could find. Once that was over the group rode into the camp and gathered up the miners.

" _Looks like Bouge enjoys overworking people_." Vasquez said as Maya rode up next to him. 

" _A lot like the people who own the haciendas_." She said.

Vasquez looked over at her and was about to say something when Joshua called the pair of them over to a supply shed. Inside were at least a dozen crates of dynamite.

"I've always wanted to blow something up." Joshua said with a grin.

"Don't give him any of that stuff." Maya said. "Knowing him he'll end up blowing himself up."

"I will not." He argued, crossing his arms over his chest.

Maya chuckled and got back on Isabelle. As they started back to town, the miners following them, Goodnight came up next to Maya.

"Thank you. For volunteering like that." He said quietly.

"You're welcome." She said. "I don't know the story as to why, and you don't ever have to tell me. But I know that look all too well to not help."

Goodnight nodded and then fell back to where Billy was. Maya looked towards the town as they approached it and could see some of the people anxiously watching to see how many men they had brought back with them. The looks of hope in their eyes were enough to make Maya feel terrible. Even if they could manage to get the town ready in time deep down she knew some of them wouldn't make it. Looking down at the ground she saw the black and brown legs of Joshua's horse.

"What's got ya down?" He asked.

"Some of these people won't make it through this fight. No battle happens with casualties on both sides." She answered.

"That's true. But we can do our best to make sure that the casualties on our side are as few as possible." He told her as they dismounted and took the tack off their horses.

"I guess you're right." She said, letting Isabelle into the corral with Jack. 

Joshua walked over to her and grabbed both her shoulders, making her face him. 

"Look, I know you've seen a lot of shit over the years. But that's all in the past now and it's not going to affect you. Besides, you always got me." He said, smiling as he said the last part. 

Maya hummed in agreement and leaned her head on his shoulder. 

"Not to mention that Vasquez has been staring at you any chance he gets, and I think he would be pretty disappointed if you ran off on us." He said with a laugh. 

Maya pulled back and slapped his arm. "He has not." 

"Course you haven't noticed, he only does it when your not paying attention." 

"Callate." 

"Now that one I understand." 

This got a laugh out of both of them while they made their way to the boarding house where everyone had gathered for lunch. As they walked Joshua wrapped an arm around Maya's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. 

"Te tengo." He said, using one of the Spanish phrases Maya had taught him. He didn't know how she would feel about it, but using Spanish usually helped. 

"Gracias, Joshua." She muttered. "Gracias." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: 
> 
> Hola Isabelle: Hello Isabelle 
> 
> Callate: Shut up
> 
> Te tengo: I got you
> 
> Gracias, Joshua: Thank you, Joshua.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a bit longer than the other one's, but it's worth it I promise. 
> 
> WARNING: There is brief mention of attempted rape in this chapter.

The hot sun was high in the sky as Maya worked with the townspeople to fortify the church. As she was holding up a board for someone else to hammer she felt hands grab her sides, cause her to yelp and spin around. Behind her Joshua stood laughing at her reaction. 

"That's not funny, Josh!" She said, smacking his arm. 

"Yes it is." He retorted as his laughter died down. "You done here? There's something I need help with." 

"And I have to be the one to help you because?" 

"Because reasons." 

"That's never a good sign. I just have to finish this board and I'm done." 

Joshua nodded and waited patiently for Maya to finish, which immediately made her suspicious. As she followed Joshua through the town she was thinking of all the things he could need her help with. None of them were very good, but some were better than others. When they stopped she saw that he had lead her to where he and Vasquez had been setting up dynamite on a shed. 

"He keeps sayin stuff in Spanish and I have no idea what he's sayin. That's why I need your help." Joshua explained, turning to Maya. 

"Really? This is why you pulled me away from my work?" She asked, folding her arms in front of her chest. 

" _I figured he would think it was about him, but I'm really just talking about stuff I used to do as a kid._ " Vasquez told Maya as he worked on the dynamite. 

Maya tried not to laugh but failed, which caused Vasquez to laugh as well. 

"What? What did he say?" Joshua asked. 

"Nothing he's been saying is about you." Maya informed him, still trying not to laugh. 

"Sounded like it was." Joshua muttered. 

"That's because you always get verbs and nouns mixed up." Maya said. "And also cause you just don't pay attention." 

" _You have a tear in your shirt._ " Vasquez interjected, gesturing to Maya's sleeve. 

Maya looked down and saw a sizable tear in the top of her sleeve. 

"Mierda. I'll have to get that fixed." She said. " _Thanks for pointing it out._ " 

"Somehow I knew that the two of you being together would end up like this." Joshua said. 

"Like what?" Vasquez asked. 

"With no one being able to understand a single word either of you says." Joshua answered with a smirk. 

" _Maybe that's a good thing._ " Vasquez said, turning back to the shed. "Now help me finish this." 

"I have to go ask someone to fix this for me. Josh, can I borrow a shirt while I wait?" Maya asked, looking to her friend. 

"Normally I would say yes, but my other one is drying right now." He replied. 

"I have an extra one you can borrow. My room is the one at the end of the hall." Vasquez told her. 

"Thanks. See you two later." Maya said as she made her way to boarding house. 

* * *

 

Joshua watched her go before he turned back to Vasquez. 

"Just so ya know, Maya is kinda oblivious when it comes to that kind of stuff." He said as he resumed his work. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" The other man asked.

"She's never really been the romance type. It didn't end to well last time, so she's just started distancing herself from it." Joshua explained.

"Who said anything about romance?" 

"Really? She may not see it, but I notice how you watch her when she isn't looking. Not to mention the fact that you just let her borrow a shirt. Probably stuff bein said in Spanish that I'm missin." 

"That doesn't mean anything. Besides, aren't you two together?" 

"Me and her? We're only friends, hombre. We've know each other for almost six years now, but it's never been more than that." 

"From what I've heard, you tried at one point." Vasquez said as the two walked away from the shed. 

"I got drunk and flirted with her. Last time that ever happened." Joshua said with a laugh. 

"Sounds like she doesn't like people flirting with her that much." 

"Only if she doesn't want em too. You could probably get away with it." Joshua told him.

"You think so?" Vasquez asked. 

"So you do like her, then?" Joshua counter-questioned, a smirk on his face. 

Vasquez pushed the other man with his shoulder as they entered the boarding house where everyone but Maya had gathered for lunch. 

"The dynamite ready?" Sam asked as they sat down. 

"Everything is set up." Joshua answered. 

"Good to see you didn't set it off while I was gone." Maya joked as she walked down the stairs. 

Her light blue shirt was in her hands and Vasquez's white shirt hung loosely around her frame. She had rolled up the sleeves to her elbows, but didn't bother tucking the rest of it in. The woman who ran the boarding house came up to her and took the other shirt. 

"I'll have this fixed up for you in no time." She said. 

"Thank you." Maya said, smiling at her. 

Vasquez scooted his chair so she could take the empty seat next to him. 

"It seems that our shirts are no longer safe, gentlemen." Goodnight said with a laugh. 

"Only Vas' and Joshua's." Maya said. "Their rooms are closer." 

"I guess my room choice was a wise one, than." Goodnight said. 

"Possibly." Maya joked. "How much time do we have left, Sam?" 

"If everything goes the way I think it will, we should have everything done and ready by tomorrow. Just in time for Bouge to arrive." He answered. 

"Let's hope the town is ready by then as well."

* * *

 

Maya sat by the river, Isabelle grazing not too far away. The full moon above her bathed the area in a soft blue light, making her wavy black hair shine. She was enjoying listening to the sounds of the river when she heard someone walk up behind her. 

" _You know, I think you look better in my shirt than I do._ " Vasquez said as sat down next to her. 

" _Guess you shouldn't have let me borrow it, than._ " She said. " _Thanks, though. I'll make sure to wash it before I give it back._ " 

" _It's no problem._ " 

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while, Maya occasionally looking up at the stars. 

"My father always told me that my mother was watching over me from the stars. She died when I was young, so I never really knew her too well. My father would show me pictures and tell me stories about all the adventures she went on. He used to say that I was exactly like her, that I got my sense of adventure and curiosity from her." She said, keeping her eyes on the sky. 

"She sounds a lot like you." Vasquez told her, looking up at the sky as well. 

"The last name I use is her maiden name. It made me feel a little closer to her in a way. Although I doubt she would approve of some of the things I've done over the years." 

"What makes you think that?" He asked, looking back at her.

"She may have gotten in trouble a few times in her youth, but she never killed anyone. Not once. The first time I ever killed a man was when I was seventeen." 

"I'm sure you had a reason." 

"We didn't have a lot of money and when I was ten my father was taken to a hacienda to work. Since we had no mother they took us too. My little brother, Manuel, was too young to work so the owner's wife took him in. My older sister Elise was taken to the main house to work as a maid. They tried to do the same with me, but I fought to stay with my father so much that they let me work with him. I would sleep in the same room as my sister at night, though. That's why I couldn't fix my shirt. I never learned how." Maya explained, looking down at the grass gently swaying in the breeze. 

"Sounds a lot like my story." Vasquez said. "Though it sounds like there's more to yours." 

Maya nodded before continuing. 

"By the time I was fifteen I knew how to do everything in the fields and my father and a few other men taught me how to fight. That came in handy two years later. By that time my sister Elise was almost twenty and I noticed the hacendado was watching her a little too closely. One night I was wondering around the grounds when I heard a scream come from our room. When I got there the door was locked, so I had to bash it in with my shoulder. He had just gotten on top of her when I managed to get the door open. When I saw what had been going on, something came over me and I don't remember too much after that. Elise told me that I beat him so bad that his jaw broke as well as his neck. We all left that day." 

Maya went silent as she relived the memory in her head. Vasquez noticed that her hands were shaking, so he took one in his own in an attempt to comfort her. Maya looked down at the sudden contact and then looked up at his face. Her lilac eyes caught some of the moonlight, which made it look like they were glowing. 

"That man deserved it. He was the worst type of person there is, and you did that to save your sister." He told her. 

"Elise was never the same after that and it killed me. She would just sit at a window and stare out it, and would flinch when you touched her. The hacendado's wife put out a price for me a year later and I had to run. I never stopped after that." She said, looking away from him. 

"I worked on a hacienda until I ran away. My parents died there before I was fifteen and I never had any siblings, so that made my decision pretty easy." He said, looking down at where her hand still lay in his. 

"I haven't seen either of my siblings in almost eleven years now. I don't even know if they're still alive or not, or if they're at the same house they were before." 

"Maybe, after all this is over, we can go look for them." Vasquez suggested. 

"I don't want to drag you into this." Maya said, looking back up at him. 

"I've been running for most of my life. You aren't dragging me into anything." 

Maya smiled a bit at the thought of being able to see her sister and brother again. Having Vasquez there wasn't a bad thought to her either. 

"You know, I don't even know your first name. How am I supposed to let you come with me if I only know your last name?" She asked. 

Vazquez chuckled at the question before answering. 

"Alejandro. My name is Alejandro." 


End file.
